Italian Buckaroos: New World

Italian Buckaroos: New WorldFebruary - December 2013

Wiegand Gallery at the Western Folklife Center501 Railroad StreetElko, Nevada

In the early 1900s, several waves of Italians traveled to the United States and settled in the American West. Many of these immigrants, largely from northern Italy, continued the traditions of their ancestors and took up ranching in northern Nevada and other western states.

For this exhibition, we focus on Italian-American gearmakers and northern Nevada families who continue to ranch, featuring their family photographs and treasured old-country items that connect them to their Italian heritage.

This exhibition, presented in two parts, invites visitors to experience the heritage of ranching in Italy's Maremma as well as the legacy of Italian-American ranching in northern Nevada. Italian Buckaroos: New World is presented with support from Reds Ranch and others. The Italian Buckaroos: Old Worldexhibition is curated by Drew Mischianti and Natalia Estrada. The Italian cultural exchange and the portion of the exhibition dedicated to the Italian buttteri is exclusively sponsored by the E.L. Wiegand Foundation.

Many thanks to all of the families that contributed to the Italian American Ranching exhibition, and to the University of Nevada Oral History program and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for their contributions.